Anwarul Iqbal

Anwarul Iqbal, BPM (Bar), PPM (1 October 1950 – 15 January 2015) was an Adviser of 2007-2009 interim Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. He was appointed as Local Government and Rural Development Minister & Labour Minister of the Non-party Interim Caretaker Government of Bangladesh on 17 January 2007 and remained in that post until a new election was held two years later. Later he was given the charge of Jute & Textile Ministry. He had the responsibility to head three ministries of the government of Bangladesh in a very crucial period of time. He is also the 25th Inspector General of Bangladesh Police. Anwarul Iqbal went into voluntary retirement from the IGP post after he had been made officer on special duty and within few days he took charge as the Adviser of the Caretaker Government headed by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed during the State of Emergency in Bangladesh which was declared on 11 January 2007.
Anwarul Iqbal died in Dubai on 15 January 2015.

Anwarul Iqbal sworn-in as Adviser which is equivalent to a Cabinet Minister of the non-party Care-taker government on 17 January 2007 by the Honourable President of Bangladesh Dr.Iajuddin Ahmed. As per the Constitution of Bangladesh the Cabinet Ministers of Interim Governments are called Advisers. He was given the charge of two important Ministries one being the Local Government and Rural Development and Co-operative (LGRD) and the other Labour and Employment Ministry. He was considered as one of the key Advisers in the longest tenure of the non-perty Caretaker Government in Bangladesh.

In the short span of time Iqbal established the Local Government Commission to ensure accountability and transparency, amended the acts of Upajilla parishad, Union Council, Municipal Council and City Corporations for women empowerment and ensuring Governance friendly persons’ participation in Local Level election, and introduced the direct and proportionately budget allocation system in local government. It means that local governments need not to depend on the will of the controlling authority for allotment of funds.

During his tenure, governmeny successfully held the Elections to the local government bodies including city corporations, municipalities, union council and specially long due elections to upazila parishads which had not been held for the last 17 years during the tenure of previous political governments. With the intention of decentralizing, and devolving the authority to local governments, he emphasized the election of honest, dedicated and capable representatives to ensure good governance, and build up a just, equitable and enlightened society. This is marked as one of the major successes of Caretaker government.

As the adviser of Labour and Employment ministry, he managed to set a standard of labour wages, benefits like service book, holidays, ID cards etc. and constant effort on implementation of minimum wages in all the factories throughout the country improved the Compliance situation up to mentionable level in the garment sector of Bangladesh. This ultimately improved the labour rights situation in the country and concludes an era of labour violence in the sector. Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector is the highest foreign currency earner for Bangladesh. He also led the way to finalize the new Labour Law in Bangladesh and successfully eradicated Child Labour from hazardous work

The other Ministry he was heading is Ministry of Jute and Textiles. One of the major achievements of Anwarul Iqbal's time is reopening a number of major jutemills of Bangladesh which were closed down to lessen losses of Government. Some of the new policies introduced by turned the loss booking units into profit making factories for the government and created jobs for more thousands of jobless people.

Anwarul Iqbal was an active member of governments negotiation team with the fighting political parties to make them sit in a table of discussion along with three other Advisers. In the long run they ensured the best ever national election in the country’s history.

Mohammed Anwarul Iqbal, BPM (Bar), PPM joined Bangladesh Police on 22 August 1973 as Assistant Superintendent of Police. He is one of the earliest officers recruited in Bangladesh Police after independence. As a member of Bangladesh Police. He has served as the Chief of most of the units in Bangladesh Police Force which includes Police Headquarters, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Branch, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Chittagong Metropolitan Police, Khulna Metropolitan Police, Detective Training School, Armed Police Battalion and Sylhet, Kushtia, Khulna and Chittagong districts and Magura, Kishorganj and Bagerhat sub-divisions. Mr. Iqbal has attended a number of training courses, seminars and workshops at home and abroad including Police Staff College, UK and UN Human Rights centre, Geneva. For his contribution to the service and the nation he was given gallantry award, President Police Medal in the year of 1980 and Bangladesh Police Medal in the year of 2000 and 2002. Mr Iqbal is the pioneer Director General of the Elite force Rapid Action Battalion.

Iqbal was awarded with Bangladesh Police medal in February 2000 for arrest of an underworld Don and successful investigation & prosecution of the cases against him. He won the same again in 2002 for Extra ordinary performance throughout the service career. He also received President's Police medal in 1982 for resolving the jail cease in Khulna district Jail. He is the only officer in the history of Bangladesh police to receive Police medals thrice.

On July 6, 2006, Anwarul Iqbal became the 25th Inspector General of Police (IGP) and performed his duty with commendable efficiency. On January 15, 2007 he took voluntary retirement from service just a day before his sworn-in as an Advisor.

Being the Founder Director General of this Elite force Rapid Action Battalion RAB, Anwarul Iqbal's popularity reached a new height as its actions helped reduce crime abruptly in the country. Iqbal successfully guided Rapid Action Battalion from its infant stage to its hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as the only elite force of Bangladesh within a span of 18 months, reducing terrorism and street crime by a commendable percentage.

In ostensibly trying to control crime, he has used plenty of methods, but most of his actions was welcomed by the mass people of Bangladesh as many believe that the country's law and order situation developed enormously during his command.

Iqbal heightened the image of Bangladesh Police abroad, playing a significant role in the UN mission at Mozambique(ONUMOZ) and Angola(UNAVEM III). In 1993-1994, he was Civilian Police Chief and Acting Commissioner in the Mozambique mission ONUMOZ. He won repute as Police Commissioner at the UN peacekeeping mission at Angola. He remained in that post during the whole period of UNAVEM III. He is the first Asian to serve as Civilian Police Chief in any United Nations peacekeeping mission.

a) Role of Police in Protecting Human Rights

b) Children in Conflict Situation

c) CIVPOL activities in Angola

d) Case Management theory and its Application

Mohammed Anwarul Iqbal was born in Feni, Bangladesh. Anwarul Iqbal is the son of late Mohammed Islam, a renowned government officer. He passed his SSC in 1965 from Memnagar BD High School in Chuadanga, HSC from Dhaka College in 1967 and Masters of Arts in Bengali Literature from University of Chittagong in the 1969-1971 academic year. He took part in the Liberation War of 1971. Later he was trained at the Bramshill Police Staff College, United Kingdom and the Human Rights Centre at Geneva, Switzerland.

Anwarul Iqbal is father of two daughters, Fahbin Anwar & Tasnim Anwar. Both of his daughters currently residing in the Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Anwarul Iqbal died from a cardiac arrest, suffered while working out, at around 8:30am at one of his daughter’s home in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 15 January 2015. The decorated former top cop is survived by two daughters Fahbin Anwar and Tasnim Anwar, and wife Dora Anwar.